Amid all the hubbub of Farina Focaccia & Cucina Italiana's opening on 18th Street in the Mission earlier this summer, we were amused but not exactly surprised to learn what's been going on behind the scenes. Just down the street from similarly shi-shi joints Delfina, Tartine Bakery and fellow newcomer Bi-Rite Creamery, Farina is the latest and possibly biggest addition to the burgeoning 18th Street "gastro corridor."
There's just one little problem: the neighbors are mad as hell.
According to SF Covers, long-brewing concerns over parking problems, drinking and noise -- to the tune of 80 complaints before the place even opened -- finally boiled over when a neighbor (a criminal attorney no less) was arrested for giving some illegally parked cars a nice new paint job, freestyle. The same guy mouthed off to SF Magazine with this little gem: "I just want everyone to know that this restaurant has fucked me."
Judging by the almost constant crowds at Farina, not to mention a great review in the Examiner a few days ago, the situation seems destined to get worse before it gets better. A word to the wise: don't park illegally, unless of course you're really into Pollack-esque splatter paint designs.
Farina Photo, From A Minor Thread On Flickr
A recent trip home to NYC, with a stop off at the most amazing bagel shop on earth -- Ess-A-Bagel -- made our mouth very, very happy, but it also made our heart very, very sad, because we have yet to find a bagel in San Francisco that comes anywhere close to NYC. And it's not for lack of trying.
First we tried Noah's Bagels, with its sepia-toned NYC nostalgia decor and gimmicky sandwich-centric menu. Pulllease. This place is a crime against good bagels everywhere.
Then came Katz Bagels on 16th Street in the Mission. Given the Jewishy name and giant bagel adorning the storefront, it seemed promising, but alas: not so much.
Finally, we got a tip to check out Holey Bagel in Noe Valley. The place makes a decent bagel, but still doesn't come anywhere near the majesty of a a genuine New York City schmear. The bagels were way too small and not chewy enough.
So, while you feast your eyes on the beautiful Ess-A-Bagel porn above, think hard about a better bagel in San Francisco, and send your favorites our way. Please, we're begging you.
Photos and Words by David Downs
(View Todd Bratrud's Slideshow)
Now two generations into skateboarding, America continues to blur high and low art with its celebration of the culture's artists. The skate deck functions not only for shredding, but as an informal tableau for the personality of both the artist and the rider.
Often juvenile, nihilistic, brutal iconography, criss-cut with the battle scars of the daily sesh, advertises lifestyle and sensibility. The deck is a portable billboard, and in the spirit of all advertising as art – established names like Santa Cruz's Todd Bratrud can command the ...
Photos and Words by David Downs
Santa Monica artist Sandow Birk first came to our attention through his updated version of Dante's Inferno -- vividly set and illustrated in Los Angeles.
That was 2003. Birk's back with the "Depravities of War," ( click here to view the slideshow ) which debuted Thursday, September 6 and runs through October 20th, comprised of 15 huge, high-contrast, chunky, savage, aggressive and ...
